Tag: book-reviews

“Hey, how are you doing?” Yashi asked on the phone.  

    The sky was bright early in the morning. Yashi along with Sana, Rey, Cyrus, and Adela were traveling in a hovership that she borrowed from the Ringmasters Society headquarters. While the others were still sleeping in their seats, Yashi had briefly placed the hovership on autopilot to take a call with Shuto. 

   “I won’t lie…I feel worse than when I’m hungover,” Shuto said. At his end, it was nighttime, and he was at home. A day had passed since the incident at the Ringmasters Society headquarters, and he along with other members had been ordered to not come into the building till an investigation had been conducted.  

    “Does your head feel at least slightly better?” Yashi asked. 

    “It’s not even that I’m concerned about. She wasn’t nearly as powerful the last time we saw her. It makes me wonder who this new gang is that she’s with.” 

    “Do you think they’ll come back?” 

    “I don’t know. All I do know is that Master Avalon isn’t going to take this lightly. We’re supposed to have a mandatory meeting soon.” 

    “I see. I’m just glad you’re safe. Is Runa asleep?” 

    “Yes, she went to bed an hour ago. How’s your journey going?” 

    “We should be arriving at the base soon. I’m still nervous about this.” 

    “I know, but you’ll be fine. Remember what you were like to Cyrus.” 

    “And what about telling them the truth?”  

    “It’s up to you what you want to say. Personally, I think it’ll help them feel not so alone with their circumstances, but you do what you feel is comfortable for you.” 

     Yashi looked over at Sana and Rey, peacefully sleeping in their seats. She allowed herself to breathe for a moment before she continued talking. 

     “Everything is going to be fine, love,” Shuto said.  

     “You’re right. I should go now. Let me know how the meeting goes.” 

     “I will. I love you.” 

    “Love you, too.” 

    Yashi ended the call. She took a deep breath, feeling slightly more at ease. 

*** 

    Two hours later, Yashi was taking over the hovership. As she monitored the course, Rey slowly woke up, noticing he was the last one to wake up.  

   “So, how long till we get there?” Rey asked sluggishly. “It’s hard to take cat naps in these chairs.” 

   “We’re approaching our destination soon,” Yashi said. 

   “Hopefully soon enough for him to quit complaining,” Adela said. “I swear, I didn’t realize you’d be this annoying.” 

   “Hey! I’m not complaining!” Rey exclaimed. “Also, does this base of yours have any beds? I need something comfy for these two weeks.” 

    Yashi got increasingly irritated with Rey’s chatter, and Cyrus could see it. He turned to Rey, signaling to keep quiet. Rey couldn’t help himself. He wanted to train so badly. Even his parents were happy for him after he told them that he was going for special training during spring break.  

    It didn’t take long till Yashi said, “We’re going to land soon.” 

    Sana and Rey looked outside as Yashi was preparing to land. Sana was astonished, seeing that they were heading towards the Kayalvizhi Ocean. It didn’t take long till the hovership transformed, shielded in a blue skin that covered its entire body as Yashi guided it underwater. Rey was taken aback, completely unaware that they would go into the ocean. As Yashi steered the ship through the waters, Rey looked at Sana and could see she was admiring the atmosphere. He looked outside, astonished at all the corals and colorful fish that were passing by. He had never seen anything quite like it before.  

   After some time, Yashi parked the ship beside some ocean rock. The ship connected to her base from the front. Sana and Rey got out of their seats to get a look at the base. The building was made of dark blue rock and there seemed to be few windows. It had a roof that looked like it was made of diamond, and there were purple corals surrounding the building. Yashi got up from her seat along with Cyrus and Adela. 

    “Okay, we’re here. Follow me,” Yashi said.  

    Yashi led the group through a hallway that connected from the hovership to the entrance of the base. Rey was finding everything more fascinating by the minute, and Sana could see that. At the entrance, Yashi put her hand on a scanner that was at the door. Once her hand was scanned, the door opened, and they all went inside.  

    Once inside, Sana marveled at the space around them. The walls had a glistening sheen to them, and there were blue couches and a golden shell-shaped dining table in what appeared to be a living room area. She found the place to be quite homely. 

    “Is it just going to be us, Master Yashi?” Cyrus asked. 

    “Yes,” Yashi said. “Since we just got here, you can each pick a room to stay in and get settled. Though, Adela, you may have to share a room with Sana. I’ll make dinner, and we can start training tomorrow.”  

   “Tomorrow? We gotta wait till tomorrow?” Rey asked. 

   “Well, I did fly us here. I need some rest,” Yashi said. “You have two weeks. That’s plenty of time.”  

    Rey pouted, and Sana rolled her eyes, thinking how impatient he was.  

   Sana and Adela went to the first room nearby. As soon as they entered, she transformed into her chibi form and dropped on the couch in the corner of the room, sleeping instantly. Sana didn’t blame her as it had been many hours since they could sleep on a proper bed. She too was tired, but she did think about calling her dad. Sana dialed Ryan’s number on her phone and within seconds he answered, “Sana! Did you reach there safely?” 

    “Yes, Papa. We just got here a few minutes ago.” 

    “How’s the place you’re at?” 

    “Definitely not what I expected. Though it is very comfortable.”  

    “That’s great. I miss you, jaanu.” 

    “Oh, Papa, it’s only two weeks. It’ll be over sooner than you think.” 

    “I know, but it’s so lonely here without you around. Still, I understand how important this training is for you.” 

     Sana didn’t admit it, but she was missing her dad just as much. His loving words meant a lot, but she also missed his warm presence.  

    “Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe. I’ll call you every day,” Ryan said. 

    “All right, Papa.” 

    “Good luck. I love you.” 

    “Love you, too.” 

    Sana disconnected the call. She sighed, wondering how Ryan would manage alone. She knew he was used to it since she was almost always living in the dorms, but she recognized how much her dad wanted to spend time with her.  

*** 

   Later, Yashi called everyone for dinner. Sana, Rey, and Adela joined her in the dining room. Sana admired the atmosphere of the room. It reminded her of her own home. It could’ve been because of the shared Indian heritage with Yashi, but nonetheless, she felt like she was at her own home. Sana sat down with the others in one of the elegant antique chairs. They were made of painted green wood that almost resembled the sheen of an emerald. She took note of the various works of Indian art hanging on the walls. At the table, there were a variety of dishes that reminded her of home. She recognized the sambar, idlis, and masala dosa. It had been a while since she had any of these dishes made by her dad.  

   “This looks so delicious!” Rey exclaimed. 

   “Thank you. I don’t cook often,” Yashi said. “I try my best when I do.” 

   “Does Shuto sir cook?” Sana asked. 

   “Quite often actually. I’ve even taught him how to cook Indian dishes as well,” Yashi said. “Now, do eat while everything is warm.” 

   Everyone started getting their plates ready, sampling all of the dishes on display. The richness of the spices mixed with the carrots and potatoes in the sambar made her taste buds soar. She could tell Rey was enjoying the food as well. That didn’t surprise her considering he himself was quite fond of Indian food.  

   “This food is amazing, Master Yashi,” Sana said. 

   “I agree,” Adela said. “I have to hand it to the people of your world. Many of your dishes are quite tasty.” 

   “Thank you, I certainly try my best,” Yashi said.  

   “Are we gonna get food like this every day?!” Rey asked. 

   “Not sure if I have the energy to cook every day. That’s why I make enough to last for the week,” Yashi said. “But you all can try cooking.” 

   “I wouldn’t let Sana near the kitchen,” Rey said. 

   “Oh, shut up,” Sana said.  

   “Guess I’ll be doing the cooking then,” Cyrus said.  

   “So, Cyrus, what made you become Master Yashi’s student?” Rey asked.  

   The room fell silent. Rey could see the expressions on Yashi and Cyrus’ faces change. 

    “Uh, did I say something wrong?” Rey asked. 

    “No,” Cyrus said. “It’s just…it’s a touchy subject for all of us, Rey.” 

    “How so?” Rey asked. 

    “Rey,” Sana said, knowing how awkward the situation was getting. 

    “Rey, I was a victim of Madame Naga just like you,” Cyrus said. “Krystal probably didn’t tell you since she thought I should, but that’s why we came to Yashi.”  

    The silence was back again. Rey was stunned. He knew Runa was a victim of Madame Naga, but he never could’ve imagined that there were even more people who were harmed by her in the same way. What made things more awkward was that Yashi got up from her seat and left. Rey wondered if he had offended her. 

    “Cyrus, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Rey said. 

    “No, no, it’s okay,” Cyrus said. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” 

    Rey got up from his seat. As he did, Adela said, “Rey, where are you going?” 

    “I need to apologize,” Rey said.  

    Rey headed out while Sana followed him. The two went towards the light room where Yashi was. It was a room that had a huge window view of the water outside. The room had the most beautiful bright lights that shined from the ceiling.  

    Rey could see Yashi was hurting. He turned to Sana, who was nudging him to apologize.  

     “I’m sorry, Master Yashi,” Rey said. “I didn’t mean to offend you.” 

     “It’s fine,” Yashi said as she turned towards Sana and Rey. “I know you didn’t mean any harm.” 

     “I myself didn’t know the extent of Madame Naga’s cruelty,” Sana said. 

     “It’s beyond what you can imagine,” Yashi said. “That is why I had a hard time initially accepting you both as my students.”  

    Rey was puzzled. He wondered if there was more than what Yashi was letting on. It was as if she had her own connection to Madame Naga. He wondered if he should ask, but he also knew that he had done enough by asking his earlier question. Then, Sana asked, “Master Yashi, what’s your connection to Madame Naga?” 

   Wow, and I thought I was the one that had no chill around here, Rey thought. 

    Yashi sighed. She should have known that this would have been asked of her. She was possibly counting on it not happening so soon. Nonetheless, whether she was comfortable or not sharing, she realized she had to tell Sana and Rey as she was going to be their teacher for the next two weeks. 

    “I was hoping I could answer this later,” Yashi said. “But it looks like there’s a lot about Madame Naga that you didn’t know.”  

    “Like what?” Rey asked. 

    Yashi took a deep breath. She turned to Sana and Rey and said, “I was one of the first victims of Madame Naga.” 

   Rey was stunned. He could see Sana was as well. It was quite the revelation. One that he couldn’t quite understand. 

   “Hold on,” Rey said. “How is that even possible? How old are you then?” 

   “Excuse me?!” Yashi said. 

   “Rey, where are your manners?!” Sana exclaimed as she smacked Rey on the back of his head. 

   “Hey! I didn’t mean it like that!” Rey exclaimed. “I’m not trying to say you’re old! I’m just confused!” 

   Yashi sighed. She should have realized that they would want to know more about what happened to her. After all, they clearly weren’t aware of how complicated the situation surrounding Madame Naga truly was. 

   “I thought I would talk about this tomorrow, but I guess I have no choice,” Yashi said.  

   “Talk about what?” Rey asked. “Okay, I’m more curious than ever now. It was one thing with Runa and Cyrus, but you as well?!” 

    Yashi took a deep breath. She looked out the window, seeking refuge in the calmness of the waters outside. It was probably the one thing that could give her the strength to tell everything to Sana and Rey. 

    “Just like you and the others, I was very young when it happened,” Yashi said. 

    “Wait, how young are we talking?” Rey asked. 

    “Rey, let her tell her story,” Sana said as she shoved Rey in his arm with her elbow.  

    “As I was saying, since I was a kid, I trained under the tutelage of my master, Master Santhosh,” Yashi said. “After much hard work, I became his top student. It wasn’t long before many people in our village learned about my prowess. I was even going to enter the only ringmaster academy in India at that time.” 

    “Then what happened?” Sana asked. 

    Yashi took a moment to breathe. She had to get herself ready to remember the painful part. 

    “One day, I was playing with some of my friends in the fields near my house,” Yashi said. “We were playing a simple game of catch. The ball went far away, and I was the one that decided to retrieve it. Once I found it, that’s when she appeared in front of me.” 

    “Madame Naga?” Rey asked. 

   “Yes,” Yashi said. “She knocked me out instantly. For days, I was out of it, going back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness. When I woke up, I learned what happened to me. You can’t even imagine how I woke up. The pain of her venom made me scream in my sleep. She kept me under observation for days, torturing me with one experiment and exercise after the other. She ended up deeming me unworthy and was close to killing me till Master Santhosh and his comrades showed up to rescue me.” 

   Yashi took a moment to breathe. She could feel all the pain from the memories rush back like a rollercoaster that wouldn’t stop. Sana could sense that this was a lot for her to share. She turned to Rey, who seemingly shared the same sentiment. Rey wanted to say something, but Yashi wiped the tears that ran down her face to continue talking. 

   “When I came back to my village, everything had changed for me,” Yashi said. “With these new dark powers, I lost control. I went from being considered a prodigy to a threat in my own village.” 

    “A threat?” Rey said. 

    “During those times, there was heavy stigma around dark magic because of the dark beasts,” Yashi said. “Even today, those powers are feared by many people. But at that time, it was completely different. People looked at me differently for something that wasn’t even in my control. Because of this, Master Santhosh and my parents helped me leave the village. We relocated to Banjaara, and I finished schooling there and ended up going abroad to attend Pytho Sigma.”  

    Sana looked at Rey and could see he was just as taken aback as she was. It was so much to take in. Considering how Yashi was unwilling to train them to begin with, she could understand why. Madame Naga clearly haunted her. There were far too many words to describe it. 

   “Damn, I’m so sorry,” Rey said. “I guess I understand why it was hard for you to take us on for training.” 

   “It’s nothing personal, but I guess even with everything I’ve done to deal with the trauma all these years, it finds its way back into my life,” Yashi said. 

   “When you were rescued, did they not manage to defeat her?” Rey asked. 

   “They tried, but she escaped. Master Santhosh wanted to hunt her down, but I was the one that told him not to,” Yashi said. “I just wanted to never see her again.” 

   “I’m guessing you haven’t seen her since then either,” Sana said. 

   “I haven’t,” Yashi said.  

   “I don’t understand something. How long could Madame Naga be doing this?” Rey asked. “Like, does she not age?” 

   “Something like that,” Yashi said. 

   Rey was surprised. He could see Sana was as well. He said, “Huh? I wasn’t being serious, you know!” 

   “After I relocated to Banjaara, Master Santhosh and I met other victims of Madame Naga. Their ages ranged from young to quite old,” Yashi said. “I didn’t visit her when she was arrested, but one of my colleagues did. When she described what she looked like currently, it matched exactly how she looked like when I was a child.” 

   “So, she’s been doing this for a long time,” Sana said. “But it doesn’t explain how she’s continued to live for so long. Is it even possible for her to die then?” 

    “Master Santhosh has heard a theory,” Yashi said. “He believes that an exchange of some sort happens. When transferring the venom from her system to her victim, there’s an exchange of energy that allows her to preserve her mortality.” 

    “You mean, she drained energy from me?” Rey asked. “Is she immortal now or something?” 

    “I certainly hope not,” Yashi said. “Anyway, I told you what you needed to know. Please know that my uneasiness has nothing to do with you.”  

    Yashi began to head out of the room. She could feel like Sana and Rey were looking at her, unsure what to say. She stopped and turned to them, saying, “Come back to dinner. You two need a good meal before tomorrow.” 

   As Yashi left, Sana sighed. Rey looked at her and said, “Damn. That was a lot.” 

   “Yeah. You heard her though. We should go back and eat.” 

   “What? How can we just eat when she just told us all of that?!” 

   “Fine. You can stand here and ponder over everything that was said, but don’t come complaining to me later about how hungry you are.”  

   “Oh, come on, Sana, I know you.” 

   Sana sighed. “Look, Rey, we can’t dwell too much on this. Let’s just do what Yashi asks of us.” 

    Sana headed out while Rey stood, dumbfounded. He thought that Sana would at least be as stunned as he was. Or maybe she was, and she was just putting her feelings on the matter aside. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe Sana and Yashi were alike. Maybe that was why Sana didn’t want to sit around and talk about everything they had just heard. He realized that maybe he should just go ahead and get back to dinner.  

*** 

   After dinner, Rey was back in his room, trying to get some sleep. He had to get up early in the morning for his first day of training. He tossed and turned multiple times, but he couldn’t fall asleep no matter how many times he shut his eyes. Rey got up from his bed and left the room. As he went out into the hallway, he was surprised to see Sana outside as well. Her face illuminated in the light that was coming from the mini flashlight she was holding.  

   “Hi,” Sana said. 

   “Hey. You can’t sleep?” 

   “No. I’ve been restless. You?” 

   “Not at all. It’s pretty hard to sleep when your mind is overflowing with thoughts at a hundred miles an hour.” 

   “Is it about what Yashi said earlier?” 

   Rey sighed. Sana was so good at picking up what was on his mind. She was the ultimate mind reader. 

   “I guess I never realized how many people have been affected by Madame Naga in the same way I have.”  

   “It actually makes sense to an extent. Someone like her can hurt so many people.” 

   “So, you’re taking this better than I thought you would.” 

   “I wouldn’t say that. I think I’m just making sense of everything.” 

    “I see.” 

    Sana sighed. She was trying to lessen Rey’s worries even though she herself was feeling anxious. It was then she remembered about the promises she made to Rey.  

    “Don’t think too much about it,” Sana said. “We need to get as much rest as possible. Krystal went out of her way to seek out Cyrus and get us this training in the first place. We have to believe it’ll be worth it.” 

    With that, Sana headed back to her room while Rey began to head back to his. He hoped deep down that Sana was right. 

*** 

   Early morning came soon enough. Sana barged into Rey’s room, seeing he was still asleep, yawning loudly like a lawn mower. Annoyed, she tossed a large pillow at him, waking him up. He sat up and said, “What the hell was that for?!” 

    “You have to brush and eat. I’m not going to be tardy because of you.” 

    “Sheesh, you’re so aggressive.” 

    “You call it aggressive. I call it assertive. Now, get up. You don’t want to make a bad impression on our first day of training.” 

    Rey sat up, stretching his arms. As much as he’d rather be sleeping, he figured he should get up before Sana yelled at him again. Rey went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, freshening up. He headed to the dining room where breakfast was being served. After everyone finished eating, Rey eagerly asked Yashi, “So, what’s our first day of training going to be like? Are we going to do a simulation or go straight into combat?” 

   “Cyrus, is the training room setup complete?” Yashi asked.  

   “Yes, Master Yashi. The dome should be accessible to you now,” Cyrus said.  

   “Dome?” Rey asked. “So, we are doing a simulation?” 

   “You’ll see,” Yashi replied. “Everyone, let’s go.” 

   With that, Sana, Rey, Adela, and Cyrus followed Yashi down the hallway. Yashi led them all the way to the very end of the chamber room. She put her hand on the white screen by the door, and her hand was scanned, allowing the doors to open after recognizing her. As they entered, Sana found herself astonished at what she was seeing. Inside the chamber appeared to be a highly advanced simulation room. The academy had one as well, but it seemed to be a lot different from this one. The controls looked way more complex and there were so many of them that it scared her to even think what would happen if she touched anything by accident. 

   “Cyrus, I want you to manage the controls and settings,” Yashi said. “You know what to do if anything should get out of hand.” 

   “Yes, ma’am,” Cyrus said as Adela followed him outside. 

   “So, this is a simulation!” Rey exclaimed. 

   “Not exactly,” Yashi said. “Cyrus, get them their gear.” 

    Cyrus opened a shelf near the controls, pulling out two silver headbands. She handed them to Sana and Rey, saying, “Put these on before entering the simulation room.” 

    “Do I have to wear this?” Rey asked as Sana immediately put her headband on. “It doesn’t exactly work with my outfit.” 

    “You sound like Krystal,” Sana said. 

    “Listen, when you spend an ENTIRE day with her at the mall, you WILL start talking like her!” Rey exclaimed. 

    “You need these headbands for your training,” Yashi said. “We won’t be able to do the first session without them.” 

    Rey sighed and put the headband on. He headed inside the room with Sana while Yashi followed them inside. She instructed Sana and Rey to stand by the red circles on the floor while she stood on the blue circle. Once they were all in position, Yashi signaled Cyrus to start the simulation. Cyrus pressed the controls to begin the simulation and also turned a notch on the side to number three. 

   Suddenly, everything changed. Sana could see that the surroundings had changed. Sana saw the waves of the ocean before her, and her feet were nestled in the sands of what appeared to be a beach. She could tell Rey was seeing the same thing based on how excited he looked.  

   “We seriously get to train on the beach?!” Rey exclaimed. “If you had mentioned it, I would’ve brought my swim trunks!” 

    “We’re not here to swim,” Yashi said. 

    “This feels so real,” Sana said. “Is this a simulation, or did you actually take us here?” 

   “It’s teleportation magic,” Yashi said. “I have enough of it that allows me to take you to spaces like this for a limited amount of time. While this is a simulation, everything in the space will look and feel real.” 

   “Wait, so how long are we going to be here?” Rey asked. 

   “We have one hour in this space,” Yashi said. “Now, let’s keep the questions to a minimum and get started.” 

   Rey could feel Yashi’s sternness. With such a short timeframe for a training session, he knew he had to lock in.  

   “Listen to me carefully,” Yashi said. “Getting your dark energy and your fire energy to sync requires gradual balance. To achieve that balance, you must be able to use the energies individually and in unity.” 

   “Using dark energy alone seems dangerous,” Sana said. “I mean, Runa could barely control it herself.” 

   “But she has learned to, and she’s still learning,” Yashi said. “We only have two weeks to train, but by the time this is over, you two will have what you need to figure out the rest.”  

   “So, how does this specific space help us?” Rey asked. 

   “I’ll show you,” Yashi said. “Ready?” 

   Sana and Rey nodded. Yashi took a deep breath. She drew out two wands. Sana was intrigued by this sight as this was the first time that she had seen someone other than Krystal with two wands. Something was different though. Krystal’s regular wand and zodiac wand were clearly very different, but both Yashi’s wands looked like standard ringmaster wands.  

   Yashi tapped both wands at the same time. One wand transformed into a sword. Sana immediately recognized it as an urumi. She recalled seeing Ryan train with one briefly a few years ago. The sword blade was bendable with a round edge. It flowed just like the ocean waves, and it had a shiny gold handle to it. Her other wand transformed into anklets that adorned themselves around her ankles. Sana could tell they were ghungroos. They were an array of bells that were typically worn for traditional Indian dance forms. Sana was intrigued to see how Yashi would use the urumi and ghungroos together. She had never seen two weapons combined for battle. 

   Yashi took a deep breath. This was her first time demonstrating her powers in a while. She exhaled and stepped her foot deep into the sand with the ghungroo bells tinkling. She began waving her urumi around in circular motion as she continued to let her ghungroos move her feet.  

   As Yashi stepped continuously into the sand, the urumi spun a voluminous typhoon. It was a sight to behold for Sana. She was enamored with the way Yashi was coordinating her two weapons. Rey was curious to see what Yashi would do next. He noticed the vibrations of sound waves coming from the ghungroos. It was like they were driving he power of the typhoon, making it even more voluminous than ever. He wondered how Yashi could handle so much power all at once. Then again, she was a member of the Ringmasters Society for a reason. Rey and Sana missed seeing Tatia in battle against Lady Chameleon, so this was the first time they had seen a Ringmasters Society ringmaster at work.  

   Yashi directed the typhoon towards the beach waves. Before doing so, she had to show the last piece of this performance to Sana and Rey. She released a small bit of dark energy into the typhoon. The typhoon became more voluminous than ever. Rey felt intimidated by its presence, wondering if it would do any harm. Despite the sheer power it had, Rey could sense there was control in it, something that he found remarkable. 

   As the typhoon overpowered the beach waters, Yashi kept it intact with her ghungroos continuously at play as she continued to fuel their power from the movement of her feet. Sana observed Yashi’s movements carefully. It was like the sound waves from her ghungroos were keeping the intensity of the water in control.  

   “Get ready,” Yashi said. 

   “For what?” Rey questioned. 

   Yashi shot forth a small blast of dark energy from her other palm into the typhoon as she kept it going with her urumi in her other hand. A purple glow beamed through the water. Sana was astonished by how calm it was. It was the first time since seeing Runa training under Aiden that she saw the calm nature of dark energy.  

   Rey felt at peace upon seeing the full display of Yashi’s powers. It was like all the insecurities he felt about his newly found dark energy were distant. He felt like he was seeing a symphony. The harmony between the three powers at Yashi’s disposal was a sight to behold.  

   Yashi withdrew her weapons back to their wand forms, and the typhoon faded into glittery, watery dust. She turned to Sana and Rey and said, “So, tell me, how did it feel?” 

   “I’ve never seen such graceful harmony between multiple energies like that,” Sana said. “We’re trying to balance two power sets while you possess three. I can’t imagine how hard it was to master.” 

   “It’s certainly not easy,” Yashi said.  

   “Let me ask…how does it feel for you?” Rey asked Yashi. 

   Yashi was surprised by Rey’s question. She couldn’t recall anyone other than Shuto really inquire about her feelings pertaining to her powers.  

   “When you finally have control…everything feels right,” Yashi said. “That’s what I hope to help you both achieve.” 

   “But will be able to get to your level?” Sana asked. “I mean, we do have a shorter timeframe.” 

   “You don’t need to get to my level of control in two weeks,” Yashi said. “The important thing is that you two learn to use your new powers. For that, you must trust me and take your time.” 

   “So, how do we do that?” Rey asked. “I mean, you didn’t bring us to this space just to show off, right?” 

   “This space is the ideal place for you to train peacefully,” Yashi said. “It’ll also help you get clarity on your own powers.” 

    “Clarity?” Sana said, puzzled. 

    Yashi turned towards the water, admiring the beautiful glossy blue of the waves. She said, “Do you know the true meaning of water?” 

    “Is this a philosophical question?” Rey asked. “Sana is usually better at those.” 

    “It took me years to understand its true meaning,” Yashi said. “Before you can understand your new powers, you have to understand fire.” 

    Sana was surprised to find herself perplexed. What did it mean to understand fire? Of all the test questions she had seen, this was one unlike what she had heard before. She could tell from Rey’s puzzled expression that even he was confused. 

    “For the time remaining in this session, your focus will be finding an answer to that question,” Yashi said. “What does fire mean?” 

    “Uh, how exactly are we going to find that answer?” Rey asked.  

    “We’re going to get to that now,” Yashi said. “Cyrus, can you hear me?” 

    “Yes, Master Yashi,” Cyrus said as his voice echoed through the sky. 

    Rey was startled. Up until this point, he didn’t even realize that they could communicate with Cyrus and Adela on the other side.  

   “Good. Select gear four, level five,” Yashi instructed.  

   “You got it,” Cyrus said. 

   “Wait, what’s happening?” Rey asked.  

   Outside, Cyrus was changing gears accordingly while Adela watched him. She was curious as to where things were heading.  

   Suddenly, the space surrounding Sana, Rey, and Yashi began to change. Sana was feeling anxious, unsure of what was going to happen next. The beautiful beach had changed into a forest. The trees were tall and droopy, their branches hanging above Sana and Rey like claws reaching out to grab them. The sky had turned pitch dark. Sana felt as though they were suddenly shrouded in the darkness. 

   “Okay, what is with the change of scenery?” Sana asked. 

   “We have a little over thirty minutes left for this exercise,” Yashi said. “I want you to release fire energy without catching this forest on fire.” 

    Sana was stunned. The idea of releasing the slightest bit of fire in such a vast forest was unnerving to her. Even if it was just a space created for the sake of training, it was still real to some extent. She looked over at Rey and could see he was looking a little anxious as well.  

   “How does releasing fire energy here answer your question?” Sana asked. 

   “You’ll know when you give it a try. Once time is up, we’ll be taken back to the control room,” Yashi said. “You better get to it.” 

    As Yashi walked away to give Sana and Rey their space, Sana was unsure how to go about the exercise. One wrong move and the forest could catch fire. She looked over at Rey and said, “You ready to try this?” 

   “How? You remember what happened last time we tried an energy exercise.” 

   “So? That was then. That’s the reason we are here.” 

   Rey sighed. He knew Sana was right, but it didn’t stop him from feeling any less worried about what could happen. Before he could dwell on his doubts any further, he saw Sana’s hand extended towards him. He looked at her and could see in her eyes that even she was feeling anxious as well. But it didn’t stop her from trying. He knew they didn’t have a ton of time, so he had to act quickly. He held onto her hand, closing his eyes. 

   Sana closed her eyes as well. She said, “Remember, concentrate your energy into your hand and expand it slowly.” 

   Rey nodded. He took a deep breath, trying hard to focus. Sana began to imagine the image of a small flame. She allowed the image to guide her as she felt her fire energy flow through her into the palm of her hand. She could feel the flame form in her hand. It was small and light to the touch. Sana focused on the image in her mind as she tried to maintain the size of the flame in her hand. 

   Yashi watched both Sana and Rey closely. Sana seemed to be in control, maintaining a clear balance of the amount of fire energy she was emitting. Looking over at Rey, Yashi could see there was something different going on with him. She could see Rey’s fire energy flowing through his arm, but it wasn’t landing in his palm like Sana’s. 

   Rey had a hard time concentrating. He was initially able to focus on an image of fire in his mind. However, he started hearing a rattling sound that started to make his head throb. There was a distorted sound ringing in his ears as he started to feel slightly dizzy. The image of the fire started to blur. It seemed like it was shapeshifting into something else entirely. He could see a shadow-like figure emerge from the fire. The fire twisted into a man. Rey recognized this man as his face became clearer. It was Rey himself. Or was it? He remembered this face. It was the one that appeared in front of him and Sana during their second battle with Madame Naga. Seeing him again unsettled him. The big grin on his face made him feel uneasy.  

   As Sana continued to concentrate, she felt a disturbance. She felt her other hand that was holding onto Rey’s was rattling. She could feel something was wrong with him. Sana opened one of her eyes to see Rey’s fire energy was starting to engulf his entire body. The sight frightened her as she had never seen his fire get so erratic, and it seemed like he was unaware of what was going on.  

   Outside, Adela was feeling unnerved seeing what was happening. She wondered if she needed to step in and help. She turned to Cyrus and said, “Rey looks like he’s in trouble. Can you let me in there?” 

   “There’s no way I can do that,” Cyrus said.  

   “Why not? I’m their guardian. It’s my duty to help them.” 

   “Then as their guardian, you have to know the difference between when to help and when to let them be.” 

    Adela couldn’t argue with Cyrus’ logic. However, she was still uneasy seeing the fire surrounding Rey becoming more erratic.  

   “You’re not alone feeling stressed,” Cyrus said. “As much as I wish we could help, that would defeat the purpose of their training.” 

   Adela sighed as she looked back at Rey and Sana. She could tell Sana was concerned and scared. Come on you two, she thought.  

   “Rey! Rey, what’s going on?!” Sana shouted. Rey didn’t respond. It was as if he was frozen in his own fire. Sana panicked as she saw the fire was close to leaving his body and reaching the forest around them. She had to act quickly to bring him back. As she tried to figure out a plan, she looked at her hand and got an idea. She closed her eyes again, tightening her grip on Rey’s hand. Sana focused on her fire energy, trying her best to transfer it to Rey.  

   As Rey continued to see the other Rey, he could feel his image beginning to fade away slowly. He saw a light flashing before him. He couldn’t see anyone, but the overwhelming presence of the light made him feel at ease. “Rey, it’s okay,” a faint voice said. 

    The voice sounded like Sana’s. Rey focused on the light, letting it calm him down. He took a deep breath and let it out after a moment, repeating the process while the fire surrounding his body became more controlled. Yashi watched them both and was impressed at how quickly Sana was able to help Rey out. 

   “All right,” Yashi said. “Cyrus, take us back.” 

   Suddenly, Sana, Rey, and Yashi were taken back to the main room. Sana opened her eyes as Rey fell to the ground on his knees. She immediately went to him and asked, “Are you okay, Rey?” 

   “Yeah…I think I am,” Rey said. As he started to regain consciousness, he held onto Sana’s hand to help him feel stable again. He didn’t see any fire around him. It was bizarre as he knew he was on fire just a few minutes ago. How could everything change so fast? “It’s so weird…I remember I was on fire, but it still doesn’t feel real.” 

   “That’s how this type of magic works,” Yashi said. “It’s intense, but it’s necessary.” 

   “So, did we pass?” Sana asked. 

   “You did…barely,” Yashi said. “Sana, you acted quickly and did what you needed to help your partner. For that, you deserve much of the credit.” 

   “So, I guess I let us down,” Rey said.  

   “Rey, don’t say that,” Sana said. 

   “You don’t have to feel shame, Rey,” Yashi said as she let Sana and Rey out of the training room. “You were the one who was infected with Madame Naga’s venom. What’s happening with you is not unique.” 

   Cyrus felt as though he had a whiplash from seeing Rey during the exercise. The way his fire energy began to lose control was insane. It reminded him of the lack of control he had when he was first bitten. He didn’t have anyone other than Yashi to help him. But here, Sana did so much to help Rey. He felt like he was understanding how special their partnership really was. 

   “So, do you have an answer to my question from earlier?” Yashi asked Sana and Rey. 

   “Well, fire certainly is dangerous,” Sana said. “Although that was a given.” 

   “I don’t feel that way,” Rey said. 

   “Really, Rey?” Adela asked. “You were practically ablaze.” 

   “I mean, yeah, you’re right, but I saw how Sana’s fire guided me out from being consumed by my own fire,” Rey said. “Fire can be dangerous, but when used differently it can be someone’s light.” 

     Yashi was impressed by Rey’s answer. It was certainly what she was hoping one of the kids would figure out. While she was a mere spectator to what transpired during the exercise, she could tell Sana had a profound impact on Rey.  

    “I’m glad to hear this,” Yashi said. “It seems you have a newfound perspective on your powers.” 

    “I do. This crazy exercise actually taught me something,” Rey said. 

    “Are you insulting my methods?” Yashi questioned. 

    “Rey, don’t get us into trouble,” Sana said, lightly hitting Rey in the arm. 

    “So, now what?” Cyrus asked. “Should they go back in for the next session?” 

    “No, I think that’s enough for now,” Yashi said. “You both did good work today. Tomorrow, we’ll begin the real work.” 

    “You mean, you wouldn’t consider this real work?” Adela asked. 

    “They need to know how to control fire first before tackling the dark powers,” Yashi said. “That will be the focus tomorrow.” 

    “Man, you really got nothing for us for the rest of today?” Rey asked. 

    “Well, well, you’re certainly an eager one,” Yashi said. “I guess we can do some simple exercises in the meditation room. Follow me.” 

    Yashi led Sana, Rey, Cyrus, and Adela out of the chamber. She found that she was taking quite a liking towards Sana and Rey. Their eagerness to learn and grow felt earnest to her. After today, she was feeling more hopeful that they could handle the more challenging training sessions ahead.  

Copyright © 2026 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.